Seed-sprouter.



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Patented June 3, 1913.

H. SCHULTZ. SEED SPROUTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1912.

1 ,063342. Patented June 3, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. \vAsmNa'roN, D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN SCHULTZ, OF PABKERSBURG IOWA.

SEED-SPROUTER.

Application filed September 23, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Serial No. 721,911.

This invention relates to improvements Another object is to provide aseed sprouter or germinator of the character described havlng animproved COIlStIUCtlOIr and arrangement of trays for supporting the seedwhile being sprouted and which will be simple and inexpensive inconstruction, efficient and reliable in operation and well adapted tothe purpose for which it is designed. a

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved seed sprouter; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of thesame; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line l4 of Fig. 2showing a plan view of one of the seed sprouting trays arranged forgerminating or testing seed; Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line5-5 of Fig. 2 showing a plan view of the tray for holding water fromwhich the moisture is generated for sprouting the seed in the traysabove; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the trays asarranged for sprouting seed to produce green food for poultry; Fig. 7 isan'enlarged detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig.4 showing the manner in which the trays are constructed and arranged fortesting seed.

In the embodiment of the invention I provide a casing 1 which may be ofany suitable size and shape and which is preferably constructed ofgalvanized sheet metal. The casing 1 is provided on its upper end with aflanged opening 2 having a hinged cover 3 in which are formedventilating openings 4:. In the front side of the upper portion of thecasing is an opening 5 through which the trays of the device are placedin and removed from the casing and which is adapted to be closed byhinged doors 6. In

. the lower portion of the front side of the casing is also arranged anopening 7 through which access may be had to the lamp compartment 8 inthe lower end of the casing. The opening 7 is closed by a hinged door 9having therein ventilating openings 10 through which air is supplied tothe lamp 11 in the compartment 8.

The casing 1 is preferably provided with short supporting feet 12 and inthe sides of the upper portion of the casing are formed series ofventilating openings 18 over which on theouter surface of the sides ofthe casing are slidably mounted damper plates 14. The plates 14 areslidably supported by frictional engagement with parallel vertical guidestrips 15 and in the plates 14 are openings 16 which are adapted to bebrought more or less into register with the openings 13 in the sides ofthe casing to regulate the size of said openings and thereby control theventilation of the casing.

Arranged at suitable positions on the inner surface of the sides of thecasing are series of tray supporting cleats 17 which are preferably inthe form of angle iron strips the outer edges of the horizontal membersof which are inclined downwardly as shown at 18 to permit the water ofcondensation caught by the cleats to readily drip therefrom into thetrays below. Se-

cured to the inner surface of the rear wall of the casing is an angleiron stop strip 19 which limits the inward movement of the trays andspaces the same a suitable distance from the rear wall of thereceptacle. Also secured to the inner surface of the rear wall of thecasing are a series of horizontal ward draft and passage of the vaporthrough the spaces between the rear sides of the trays and the rear wallof the casing. The plates 20 are inclined downwardly toward their frontedges to cause any water of condensation caught thereby to drip or runfreely off the same and into the trays below.

Removably supported on the lower cleats 17 of the casing immediatelyabove the lamp is a 'water tray 21 while with the cleats 17 above thewater tray are removably engaged sprouting trays 22. The trays 22 areprovided with perforated bottoms and are of sufiicient depth to receivethe desired quantity of grain or seeds placed therein for germination orsprouting. hen the device is employed for sprouting oats or other grainor seed to produce green food for the purpose of feeding poultry inwinter the seed or grain is placed directly onto the perforated bottomsof the trays and the latter placed in position on the cleats above thewater tray in the casing.

When the device is to be employed for germinating or testing corn orother grain or seeds a pad 23 of suitable absorbent material ispreferably placed on the perforated bottoms of the trays and oversaidabsorbent pad is placed a coarse mesh screen 24 which divides thetray into a plurality of compartments or spaces 25 which may be providedwith designating letters or numerals and which are adapted to receiveone-or more seeds which are placed on the pad within the spaces of thescreen. The pads 28 and the screen coverings 24 are removably held inposition in the trays by clamping plates 26 which are bolted orotherwise secured to the inner sides of the ends of the trays and haveon their lower edges right angular flanges 27 which bear against thescreens 24 and clamp the latter and the pads into tight engagement withthe bottoms of the trays. By thus arranging the screens, it will be seenthat various kinds or grades of seed may be placed in the trays fortesting, said seeds being kept separate for identification in the spacesformed by the screens 24. It will be understood that the pads 28 andscreens 2& are arranged in the trays only when the latter are to beemployed for germinating seeds for testing the fertility and vitality ofthe same and that when the trays are employed-for sprouting grain toproduce green food the pads and screens are removed therefrom.

In using the device for testing seed each of the trays is provided witha piece of cloth which is placed over the seeds or grain therein, afterwhich water is poured into the upper tray through the opening in the topof the casing and overflows from said upper tray onto the trays belowand flows into the 7 water tray 21 in the lower portion of the casing.After the water has been applied to the trays in the manner describedthe cloth coverings are removed. This wetting of the contents of thetrays may be repeated every twenty-four hours or as often as isnecessary and between the times in which the contents of the trays arethus moistened the vapor; generated from the water in the lower tank 21by the heat of the lamp 11 passes upwardly through the openings in thebottoms of the trays and around the sides and between the latter thusproducing the proper temperature and moisture for quickly germinatingand sprouting the fertile seeds placed in the trays of the casing. \Vhenthe contents of the trays have been thus germinated or sprouted to thedesired extent the trays are removed through the opening 5 in the frontof the casing and the contents of the trays taken out and replaced byother seed or other trays containing fresh seed are substituted for thetrays removed from the casing. The vapor in arising from the water tray21 passes between the ends and rear edges of the trays and is deflectedi11- wardly over the trays and thus moistens the contents thereof which,together with the moisture coming up through the perforated bottoms ofthe trays and through the absorbent pads contained thereon, causes theseeds to quickly germinate. The temperature and amount of moisturesupplied to the device between the trays is controlled or regulated bythe ventilating openings 13 and 16 formed in the ends of the casing andthe damper plates 14 as hereinbefore described. Any excess of vapor ormoisture accun'iulating in the device is discharged through theventilating openings 4: in the cover or top 8 of the casing.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined andclaimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A seed sprouter comprising a casing having therein top and sideopenings and ventilating openings, a ventilated cover to close said topopening, doors to close said side opening, one of said doors havingventilating openings, aheating compartment in the lower portion of saidcasing, a heat supplying medium arranged in said compartment, damperplates arranged over the ventilating openings in the casing, whereby thesize of the said openings is regulated, series of tray supporting cleatsarranged in the casing, seed supporting trays engaged with said cleats,a spacing strip arranged between the rear wall of the casing and thetrays, and vapor deflecting plates arranged between the trays.

2. A seed sprouter comprising a casing, a series of tray supportingcleats arranged therein and having their outer edges inclineddownwardly, downwardly inclined vapor deflecting plates secured to therear wall of the casing between said tray supporting cleats, a watertray arranged on the lower cleats of the casing, seed supporting trayson the cleats in the upper portion of the casing above said water tray,said seed supporting trays having perforated bottoms, absorbent padsadapted to be placed in the trays over the perforated bottoms thereof,space forming screens arranged over said pads, and

clamps detachably secured to the ends of the trays to removably securesaid screens and pads therein.

8. In a seed sprouter, a seed sprouting tray having a perforated bottom,an absorbent pad engaged with said bottom, a spacing screen arrangedover said pad, and clamping plates secured to the ends of the tray toengage said screen and thereby hold the same and said pad in position inthe tray.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HERMAN SCHULTZ. Witnesses:

FANNIE R. TAMMEN, AUGUST LEHR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

